Battery terminal clamp



Aug. z3, 1932. P, E COE 1,872,683

BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Filed March 11, 1931 Z3 *1y 19 @i l Wulf//w Patented Aug. 23, 1932 Perra matas Fics IEAU'L E. COE, 0F NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA BATTERY TERMINAL. CLAMP Application filed March 11, 1931. Serial No. 521,767. Y

The present invention relates to clamps for detachably connecting in electrical contact the leads of storage batteries and the likeV hicles and installations, especially where theA parts are subject to vibration and shock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a terminal clamp which may be quickly adjusted to battery posts of various sizes and types, and which may be quickly yandeasily applied to and removed from the posts, and a clamp which will not freeze tight to the Vterminal post, eitherthrough corrosion orl otherwise, and which may be easily and readily removed without wrenching, straining or damaging the battery.

A further object' of the present invention is to provide aA terminal clamp of'the'type using a bolt and nut but which so peculiarly positions their parts as to locate them,'when the clamp is applied, as to be as far away as possible from the source of corrosion, that is away from the face and filler caps of the battery, and at the same time in such position as to be easily accessible and to minimizethe danger of damage to the filler caps and face of the battery from wrenches or other tools which may be used in operating on the bolt Still further, the invention aims to provide a terminal clamp effecting a more eiicient and rsubstantial electrical connection or clamp for use wherever such clamp may be and securely grip the post with a minimum pressure upon the tightening nut and continuously maintain a good electrical connection; a compact clamp composed of relativei" ly few strong and durableV parts so constructed and interfitting as to prevent separation Aduring use, handling and shipping and which may bel economically manufactured;

m and a clamp which when tightened will' autoand nut to secure and remove the clamp. 1 4 v used to advantage; a clamp which will firmlyv matically adjust itself upon a battery post without necessitating the bending of'metal or the insertion ofshims or bushings.v

With the foregoingand Aother objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will bemore particularly pointed out in the claimsV appended hereto. l Y y In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like. or corresponding parts throughout the several views, f

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a storage battery with a terminal post clamp in postion thereon connecting a lead to the battery.

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the clamp constructed according to the present invention andas applied to a battery post.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken lengthwise through the same on the line 3 3 of Figure 2. f v Y Figure 4 is a like view but with a rela- 70 tively small battery post-in the clamp.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken through the clamp as applied to a battery post, substantially on the line 5 5 of Figure 3. v

Figure 6 is a detail longitudinal section taken through the rocking clamping member.

Figure 7 is a like view showing a slight modification in the clamping member wherein the same is provided with a gripping surface, and t Figure 8-is a like view showinga further modification in the gripping surface.

Referring now to thev drawing, Figure 1 shows at lO a storage battery of the type such 8b as is used in automobiles, motor boats and other vehicles for supplying current to ignition circuits and the like and wherein heavy leads 11 are used in carryingfoft the current. The battery 10 is providedv with the usual ter- 9UV minalfposts 12, and the improved clamp is adaptedto be permanently attached to the end of the lead 11 and to be detachably engaged with the adjacent terminal post 12.

The clamp comprises abody portion 13 95 which is in the shape of a yoke, the closed endV of 'which is rounded and adapted to bear against one lside of the battery post 12, as clearly shown-in Figures 2-and 5. rlhe-inner wall 14 at the closed end of the yoke 13 pref-` 190 era-bly tapers from the lower edge of the yoke inwardly and upwardly to the upper edge thereof, and the yoke is adapted to be seated over the upper extremity of the post 12 in a horizontal postion. The closed end of the yoke 13 is provided at its upper edge with an upwardly projecting eye 15 having a horizontal opening therethrough to serve asa support and bearing for the outer end of a clamping bolt 16 which is arranged horizontally above the yoke and which carries a winged nut, or other suitable clamping means, which bears against the outer face of the eye 15 for drawing the bolt 16 therethrough and effecting a clamping action. The bolt 16 is providedl upon its inner end with a preferably rectangular head 18, or a hea-d of any other suitable construction providing at least one dat lateral face. n

The opposite sides or ends of the yoke 13 extend beyond the opposite side-of the post 12 and are integrally formed with a lead socketV 19 which opens laterally of the yoke 13, shown in Figures 2 and 3, to receive therein the adjacent end of the lead 11, the latter being leaded or otherwise suitably secured in the socket 19.

The socket 19 has at its inner side and eX- tending between the arms of the yoke 13 a fulcrum bead or lip 2O which klies substantially inm faces ofthe yoke arms so that the clamp-YA ing member 21 may have a relatively free movement toward and from the adjacent side of the post 12 and also upon the bead or'lip 20. j

The outer face of the vclamping member 21, at its lower end, is provided with a transverse groove 22the bottom of which may slightly convex, as shown in Figure 5, to correspond ysubstantially to the curvature of the bearing edge of the lip 20. v

This groove 22 provi'les upper and lower ribs or abutments on the clamping member 21 adapted to seat against and about the free edge of the lip 20 to pivotally support the` clamping member 21 and hold the samein alignment with the yoke 13. The upper end` of the clamping member v21 is provided with an' eye 23 which flares outwardly through the eye and is adapted to receive the outer end portion of the clamping bolt 16 with the head 18 of the bolt against the inner side of the eye 23. A shoulder 24 is formed upon `the inner vface of the clamping member 21 below the eye 23 and against which is adapted to engage the fiat side of the head 18 of the eye.

bolt to hold the bolt from turning in the 21 to bring the upper face 26 into engagement with a :smaller post, such as shown in dotted lines at 2? in Figure l. This arrangement of the upper and lower Contact faces on the clamping member adapts the clamp to batteryposts of different sizes, such as is usually found in the positive and negative posts of storage batteries.

As shown in Figure 7, the clamping member 21 may be provided with a modified form of lower post engaging surface 28 wierein the Asurface has a plurality of serrations or teethacross its face for binding engagement in the adjacent side of the relatively softterminal post of the battery. In like manner, the upper engaging surface 29 may be provided with a transverse groove therein for engaging a smaller size post and to provide spaced gripping elements for binding vai As another modified form of the engaging face ofthe clamping member 21, in Figure, the upper and lower clamping faces are shown as a continuous surface 3 0 which is curved vertically so as to advance the upper part of the shaft 30 into engagement with a smaller diameter post when the member 21 is rocked inwardly to a sucient extent.

It is desirable however that in all structures of the engaging face of the clamping memberv such engaging face is transversely concave seras to conformi. to a large extent to thek adjacent side of the battery post, as shown lto advantage in Figure 5.

When the deviceY is manufactured and assembled the clamping member 21 is held between t-he arms of the yoke 13 by the ,clamping bolt 16 and the latter is slackened suiiiciently to admit of freedom of movement of the clamping member when the clamp is litted over the upper end of a battery post 12. In positioning the clamp uponthe post, it is only necessary to engage the groove 22 of the clamping member 21 upon the fulcrum bead or lip 2O and to then force the yoke 13 downwardly into horizontal position over the post 12 with the tapering end wall 14 of the yoke against one side of the post 12.

The 'clamping means, such as the winged nut 17, is now turned in a direction to draw the bolt 16voutwardly-throughvthe eye 15.

The head 18 of the clamping bolt is held from turning by the shoulder 24 on the clamping member 21 and the head 18 also bears against the adjacent side of the eye 23 so as to swing the clamping member 21 on its fulcrum 20 toward the closed end of the yoke. To admit of freedom of action of the clamping member 21, the eye 23 has at its outer side an inwardly beveled face 81 adapted to receive the lower portion of the head 18 when the clamping member is tilted to a relatively great extent, such as shown in Figure 4. It will also be noted that the opening through the eye 23 flares sufliciently to prevent the eye from binding on the bolt 16 when the clamping member 21 is tilted. y

It will be apparent from Figures 3 and 4 that the pressure which is exerted against the post 12 is transmitted to the post through the clamping member 21 at a point which is slightly above the horizontal plane of the fulcrum lip or bead 2O so that when the clamping bolt 16 transmits pressure to the upper end of the clamping member 21 the leverage against the side of the post 12 is materially increased and consequently a rela tively great pressure is exerted upon the clamping post as compared with the pressure required for turning up the nut 17. By

f means of this construction the nut `17 may be turned up with the fingers and the post 12 is gripped with practically the same force as is the case in such prior constructions where the clamping bolt acts directly upon the opposite sides of a split nut or sleeve which is deformed to engage the post.

It is apparent that as the clamping member 21 is tilted forwardly toward the closed end of the yoke the contacting surface of the clamping member is gradually advanced outwardly and upwardly with respect to the clamping surface 14; at the closed end of the yoke so that the upper and lower portions of the clamping surface admit of differences a in construction or configuration to take care of large and small diameter posts which may be used in battery construction.

When it is desired to remove the clamp from a battery post, it is only necessary to turn the wing nut 17 in a reverse direction so as to release pressure upon the bolt 16. The clamping member 21 is thus released or freed and may be easily separated from the side of the post and the yoke may then be` lifted free of the post without damage to the post or to the parts of the clamp.

The clamp is constructed of any suitable material, such as the lead coated brass which is commonly used in clamp construction and ily take'place at those portions'of the clamp whichtare'subject tomanipulation.

- Itis obvious that various changes and modiflcations'may bemade in the'details of construction and'design of .the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by thescope of the following claims.

V1. A battery terminal post clamp, comprising a -yoke adapted to engage over a battery post with its closed end at one side ofthe post, a lead socketcarried across the ends ofthe yoke and havinga fulcrum bead across its inner side, a clampingmember disposed within the yoke against said fulcrum bead forzengagement against the opposite side of the post, and clamping means between the upper end of the clamping member and the yokefor` swinging the member on the fulcrum beadinto binding engagement with the post.

2. A battery vterminal clamp comprising a yoke closed at one endand adapted to be fittedhorizontally over a battery post with the closed end against one side of the post, a lead socket closing the oppositeend of the yoke, a clamping member pivotally mounted at its lower end between the lower edge portions of the yoke, and clamping member enswinging the same toward the closed end ofv the yoke to lbind the clamping member against the opposite side of the post.

3. A battery terminal clamp comprising a yoke for engagement horizontally over a battery post, a clamping member hingedly mounted at its lower end between the arms of the yoke adjacent the lower edge portions thereof, and means between the upper end of the clamping member and the closed end of the yoke for swinging the clamping member toward the latter and binding a post between the closed end of the yoke and the clamping member.

4. A battery terminal clamp comprising a yoke closed at one end and adapted to engage over a terminal post with the closed end of the yoke at one side, a lead socket closing the vopposite end of the yoke and provided at its inner side with an inwardly projecting'fulcrum lip, a clamping member having a groove inits outer side and at its lower end for receiving said lip to hingedly connect the clamping member to the lip, said yoke and the upper end of said clamping member having upstanding eyes, and a clamping bolt engaglng through said eyes adapted to be tightened for swinging the clamping member toward the closed end of the yoke and binding a post therebetween.

5. A battery terminal clamp comprising a yoke closed at one end for engagement over a battery post with the closed end against one between rthe sides .ofthe yoke,:said yoke haw ing a transverseifulcrum li=p extending-across its lowervedge portion, said .clamping member having a transverselydisposed groove 'ffor receiving `seid lip therein to pivotally sup port the clamping member-wt lits lower end,-

said lip and groove having complementa'l curved feces admittingofthe lateral settling of .the clamping member when subjected to pressure, said clamping member hegvingy a transversely concave gripping surface, and

means between .the yoke and the upper end of the clamping member 'for swinging -the latter toward the free Vend of 1the yoke and binding a post therebetween.

6. A battery terminal clamp comprising la, yoke closed at one `endl enel adapted `for-engagement over a terminal post with'the closed end at one sideof the post, a clem-pingmember pivotztlly mounted at its lower end between the arms of the yoke Vand extending upwardly therebetween, and clamping means between the vyoke and lthe upper end of the clam-ping member for swinging the flatter toward the closed end of the yoke to clamp L battery post therebetween, yseid clamping member having upper and lower transversely concave engaging faces relatively disposed foi-:consecutive advancement during the tilting of the clamping member toward 'the closed end of the yoke to accommodate the terminal posts of different sizes. 

